This invention pertains to medical instrumentation, and, more particularly, pertains to an electrical monitor for intravenous (I.V.) drip feeders.
It has been an ever present problem to accurately sense drip rate from an intravenous gravity feed bottle and accurately display the drip rate delivered by fluid therapy administration set-ups. While prior art devices sensed drip rate, the drip rates were not always accurately sensed.
First, the prior art circuits do not provide for fluctuations in the drip rate and frequently have only one alarm condition.
Second, the prior art systems do not provide for ready support of the drip chamber-drip tube in a vertical position, and ready utilization by nursing staff.
Other prior art systems include intravenous mechanical pumps and controllers which are very expensive and usually only used with very critical care patients whose lives may be dependent upon accurate delivery of I.V. fluids in exact accord with their physician's prescriptions. Those systems are very expensive and are only purchased in very limited numbers. The pumps also require use of special, expensive I.V. tubing sets that contain an inline cassette that fits into the pump to accomplish the pumping action.
Representative prior art is U.S. Pat. No. 3,596,515 which illustrates an I.V. stand supporting an intravenous bottle, drip tube, sensor, and monitor. The prior art does not provide for maintaining the drip chamber tube in a substantially vertical position.
The present invention overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art by providing an intravenous administration set alarm monitor which is readily utilized by hospital staff with basic training, and includes adjustable, high and low drip rate alarm settings, visual digital readout of the drip rate, is supported on the standard intravenous stand, and can be used with any standard, gravity feed I.V. tubing set.